Improvement in rakes for harvesters



S. IJOHNSTON.

Harvester Rake.

Patented Dec. 22. 1863.

W/TNE 5355,'

`UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL JOHNSTON, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAKES FOR HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 111,009, dated December22, 1863.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL JOHNSTON, of Buffalo, in the State of NewYork, have invented a new and Improved Automatic Rake for Harvestersjand I do hereby declare that the following is a full andexact'description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to de scribe its construction and operation.

The raking arrangement is attached to the platform of aharvesting-machine upon that side of the same and near the front whichis nearest to the machine. This location secures a harmonious movementbetween the platform and the rake however uneven the ground may be. Itmay also be located upon any other convenient partof the machine. It ismade principally of iron, and the base is flat and of convenient form,so as to be bolted upon the platform or any other suitable part of themachine, and is distinguished in the drawing by letter f', and has aperpendicular axle-like elevation on the side nearest the machine, abouttwo feet high and tapering as it rises, and on the side next to the rakepartisan undulating groove, letter s, in which the short arm of thecrane hI moves as the grain is raked off the platform. This short arm islettered t, and the groove is partly inclosed and protected by rails orelevations on the surface of the base, said rail, on the outer side,marked by letter c.

At the back end or side of the base is a spring-gate, located at such apoint as will allow the short arm to pass through after the grain isdischarged from the platform, and then the short arm is moved backtoward the front in an outer grooved way, so arranged as to elevate therake, and this way is protected by the rail marked d. When the rakereaches nearly the front of the platform the rail c, on which the rolleron the end of the short arm rests, terminates, and the roller and shortarm rest in the inner groove, and the same operation is again performed.A hub-likecylinder,mwith two arms-one to which the rake is attached,marked g, and the other, to which the lever and pitman are attached,marked e-revolves backward and forward upon the axlefz. This is securedupon the axle by a cap and screw, (marked x.)

The arm g has a secondary arm, in the form of a crane, (marked h and t,)pivoted in a vertical slot in said arm g, the long part 71J extendingfar enough so that the head of the rake 7c `may be attached to the same'by a pin, or in any other suitable manner. About four inches above saidarm h a rod is hung upon a screw in said slot by means of a short piece,(marked 29,) which said rod is extended over the arm h and nearlyparallel thereto, and its outer end is loosely pinned or fastened to anupright rigidly attached to the head of the rake, at about the centerthereof. This rod may be adjusted in length by means of ascrew upon theend thereof,and by means of this rod, arranged in this manner, the rakemay always be adjusted so that it will be substantially parallel withthe platform and made to conform to the same, so as not to impinge uponthe same too strongly or too lightly, or not to bear at all thereon, tosuit circumstances.

.The arm m, extending trom the hub n, serves as a means for theattachment of the lever a and of a pitman upon the pin or standard m inthe slot made horizontally therein. The other end ofthe pitman may beattached to the axle of the machine for the purpose of operating saidrake, or itmay be attached to any other mechanical equivalent of thesame. The application of this power outside of the rake attachment andnearly apposite thereto increases the power applied and renders the0peration of the rake very easy, and adds but little to the draft of themachine.

.Having thus described my improvement, I claim- 1. The combination ofthe rotating hub or cylinderwith thekarms extending therefrom for theattachment of the rake and the lever and a pitman, so that the rake maybe operated by either, as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination of the upright axle with the revolving hub orcylinder and the camtracks for the operation of the rake, substantiallyas described.

3. The combination of the adjustable rod t' with the rake-head k and thearm h, to which it is attached, substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

SAMUEL JOHNSTON.

Witnesses:

W. S. SHAW, GEO. H. HUGHSON.

